When packing the usual type of foldable garment bag, the empty open bag is either hung from a support or laid across a horizontal support, such as a bed. Garments supported on clothes hangers are inserted through the access panel and the hangers are set in place on a hanger support trolley. After the access panel is closed the bag is turned around to permit pockets on the opposite panel of the bag to be filled with smaller clothing items or accessories. Then, if it is desired to carry the bag in suitcase fashion, it is transversely folded so that the access panel is folded upon itself, with the opposite or back panel forming the exterior sides of the folded bag. In such an arrangement the bag is carried by a handle located at the midpoint of the back panel of the bag, which after folding is positioned at the top of the folded bag.
One problem facing the traveler who carries a garment bag is the tendency of the hanging garments to wrinkle when the bag is folded. Since it is often inconvenient or impossible to maintain the bag in its elongated condition, attempts have been made to alleviate the problem. Probably the most successful of these attempts is disclosed in U.S. application Ser. No. 673,351, filed on Nov. 23, 1984 in the name of William L. King et al, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,513 which provides a number of features designed to better hold the clothes in place. Corner compartments are provided for receiving small items of clothing or accessories to avoid having to clump such items at the bottom of the bag. A stay bar is provided at the midpoint of the elongated bag so that hanging garments will tend to fold or drape smoothly over the bar when the bag is folded, as opposed to bunching toward the center of a cinch strap commonly provided for this purpose across the center of the bag.
The King et al application further provides cross straps connected at one end to the corner compartments and at the other to the stay bar. The cross straps hold the garments against their hangers in order to restrain the garments against sliding or falling downwardly when the garment bag is folded. In addition, straps are provided at the bottom portion of the bag to hold in place the folded end portions of long garments to prevent them from clumping at the bottom of the bag.
Although these various features have resulted in a greatly improved garment bag, nevertheless there are still areas in which improvements can be made. At times it would be helpful if the corner compartments were able to hold larger items than the size they were originally designed to receive. It would also be more convenient not to have to contend with the stay bar at all when hanging garments in the bag. As designed, the stay bar is simply moved up out of the way, such as to the top panel of the garment bag, when packing clothes in the bag. Even this minor step, however, can be an annoyance to some people.
Further, the necessity to turn the garment bag around when using the storage pockets can be not only bothersome but difficult, particularly when the contents of the bag are heavy and the bag is resting on a horizontal surface or hanging against a door.
Finally, despite all the improved features added to the existing type of garment bag, some garments, particularly those with lapels, continue to have wrinkling problems. This is caused to a large extent by the manner in which garment bags are packed. Most people insert their garments into the bag with the front of the garment exposed. This natural inclination allows the user to adjust the front of the garment after the hanger on which it is supported has been put in place. It also permits the garments to be buttoned or unbuttoned, permits the arms of the garments to be positioned for minimum wrinkling, and provides access to any trousers draped on the hanger. By arranging the clothes in this way, however, it often assures wrinkling of the lapels because of their tendency to wrinkle when folded over the stay bar.
It would be desirable to improve still further the features of the garment bag disclosed in the King et al application, and to provide means for reducing the wrinkling of garment lapels.